Tag: Andres Iniesta

To celebrate reaching 80K on Twitter, totalBarça is giving away a free copy of Iniesta’s new book, The Artist: Being Iniesta! Read on for our review of the book, and for details about how you can win a copy!

Spain vs Croatia has the chance to be the most exciting game at the Euros so far. The race to be crowned the best team in Europe has definitely had its moments, but has also had its fair share of dour games, with less than two goals being scored on average per game.

A game between these two teams, then, who are two of the only teams to have scored three goals or more in this tournament, may potentially be one of the most exciting and technical games of the tournament so far, thanks in no small part to two Blaugrana midfielders who are vital to their respective countries.

Gone are the days when Spain were the undisputed kings of international football tournaments. Ever since the Dutch demolished Spain in Brazil, with Arjen Robben and co. putting five past Iker Casillas, the Spanish haven’t quite been the same. The talent is still there, but perhaps not in the same quantities and to the same degree that it was at both Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Going into this game, I didn’t think this team could make me any happier or prouder than it had last season. After the buzz last season created, with the team coming from the depths of Anoeta-induced despair to win the coveted treble, this season had a lot to live up to. If any team could live up to the lofty expectations a treble creates though, it was this one, and this game proved beyond any doubt that this group of players and its extremely underrated coach are special.

We all know that time passes without us noticing. That is, after all, the only way in which we can justify the fact that Andrés Iniesta, the eternal baby-faced Ilusionista has turned 32.

It feels like it was yesterday when a fresh-faced midfielder from Fuentealbilla came onto the Stade de France pitch to change Barcelona’s fate in the 2006 UEFA Champions League final and guide the Blaugranas to victory with a brilliant display from midfield. If one fast forwards to the present and looks up Andrés Iniesta he will most likely stumble upon a stunningly packed trophy collection that belongs to the otherwise shy Castilla-La Mancha native. In fact, it is a trophy cabinet that most footballers can only dream of, given that it includes 4 Champions League winner’s medals, 7 La Liga winner’s medals, 2 European Championships and 1 World Cup, on top of a host of individual prizes like the UEFA Best Player of the Year.

May 6th 2009, a date that culés will never forget. Sitting in front of the T.V. in the dying minutes of the match against Chelsea F.C. waiting for Barça to get eliminated. Hopeless and angry that such an amazing season would not lead to a Champions League triumph. Suddenly, a high cross from Dani Alves that seemed to be going nowhere, finds Samuel Eto’o who narrowly slides it to Lionel Messi, who then finds Andrés Iniesta. Chelsea had blocked off all the lanes, leaving no way through, but Iniesta has always seen things no one else could.